Early French presence extended beyond fortress

This year marks the tricentennial of Fortress Louisbourg, and preparations for a major celebration are underway.

Hopefully, all of Cape Breton Island will join in to make this a great event. To encourage participation, I offer these thoughts.

Louisbourg was not the first French settlement in Cape Breton, nor did it exist in isolation during the glory times. The first settlement was about 1630 in St. Anns under a fishing admiral named Charles Daniel. St. Peter’s was an important trading facility during the middle of the 17th century under Nicholas Denys.

There were many other seasonal fishing harbours scattered about the island.

With the construction of the fortress came a need for building supplies, labourers, forestry workers, agriculture and, later, miners.

Many of the residents’ needs were imported and some of the workforce could be drawn from the military, but because of travel time, most of those who worked outside of town had to be residents or live close by.

The brickyard and clay pits on the Mira were half a day’s travel from the town. The coal miners at Morien Bay, and those fishing along the coast, all needed housing on site.

The fortress was grand, but it did not exist alone. There were farms scattered all along the Mira, on the New Boston meadows, and on Boularderie Island.

There was one small sawmill at the present Two Rivers Wildlife Park site, and there had to be many more. Across the river from the wildlife park is a lake that still bears the name French Village Lake. The French road from Louisbourg met the Mira there, and across the river was the start of a road over the East Bay hills to the Bras d’Or Lake. Was there an official ferry at the site?

The Richmond County shore from Fourchu to Isle Madame still bears the names from French colonial times. I have heard of French settlements in Port Hood.

The entire island belonged to France, and little mention is made of settlements other than the fortress. This year, we should pay belated homage to those who first developed the island.

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Ehman Lynk CD

January 28, 2013 - 17:13

Sir/Madam: Iread with some interest about the attack on Louisburg by the British, which ousted the Frence stronghold. Some of the info was strange, remember the English and Frence were at WAR! Soldiers are usually not frendly during a WAR.
To go further, the renevation of the Louisburg fort was undertaken by the Canadian Government paid for by the Canadian Taxpayer. I also used to visit the ruins with my parents and played among the ruins, but my favourite place was the old Museium which contained a lot of Frence Artifacts.
I was overseas with the Canadian Armed Forces when this renovation was taking place, but I heard that the vast majority of the workers were from Quebec, bussed and housed at taxpayers expense! This was when the economy of Cape Breton was in the toilet, due to closure of most mines.
The final insult came when I returned, my Perents took me to see the new Costly. but no taxpayer's money to help Cape Bretoners. Anyway, the insult was when we approached the entrance we were met by "soldiers" dressed in Frence Uniforms carrying rifles and insisting I prove my alliegence to France!! The Frence lost that war, but due to English setting up Quebec, They won the peace.
Ehman

When Europeans first arrived in North America, the Iroquois were based in what is now the northeastern United States, primarily in what is referred to today as upstate New York west of the Hudson River.
There were no Iroquois settlements in or near Cape Breton during the time of the Fortress Louisbourg .
Today, the Iroquois live primarily in New York, Quebec, and Ontario.
Other Iroquois people lived along the St. Lawrence River, around the Great Lakes and in the American Southeast, but they were not part of the Haudenosaunee ( Iroquois ) and often competed and warred with these tribes.
The Míkmaq are a First Nations people, indigenous to Canada's Maritime Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec.
Along with Acadians, the Mi'kmaq used military force to resist the founding of British (Protestant) settlements by making numerous raids on Halifax, Dartmouth, Lawrencetown and Lunenburg.
During the French and Indian War, the Mi'kmaq assisted the Acadians in resisting the British during the Expulsion of the Acadians.

When I was a young boy I would play among the ruins of Fortress Louisbourg . This was back in the 1950s when there was nothing but rubble and debris scattered for many acres .I would find many cannon balls and arrow heads scattered around the ruins and on occasion would stumble upon what looked like unmarked graves or a small cemetery .
As a young boy I was fortunate to have seen these ruins and blessed to have played among them prior to the construction of what is now called Fortress Louisbourg .
Many French men married native women and raised Families here.There are still many Métis Families living here and through out the Maritime Provinces.
The British landed and under Orders of the British Monarchy caused war and hardships on both the Natives and the French.
The British were barbaric towards the Native people and had never tried peaceful methods to get along .
The British had a Plan and that plan was to wipe out the Natives along with the French and take control of the Lands . We all know what happened and we remain living under British Rule.